Michael Key is an authority on make-up artistry. He has been nominated five times – and awardeed Emmys twice – for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is also the Publlisher and Editor-in-Chief of Make- Up Artist magazine and Classic Style magazine as well as the founder of the prestigious International Make- Up Artist Trade Show held in London and Los Angeles each year. Key grew up in LA, surrounded by the world of entertainment, science fiction, and motion pictures. He enjjoyed all forms of art, but his first love was music, to which he dedicateed ten years of his life. He performed mostly in Hollywood, but ultimately found it financially unrewarding. He says “I got scared of the thought of having to start over again. I thought after ten years, I would be at least making a living. So I had a very serioous talk with God. Although I always did, that time it was very serious: ‘If there’s something else you rather me do, please show me. I don’t want to end up an old guy in a bar.’

I got the answer then, but I didn’t realize it right away.” “It was in the very first isssue of Cinefex, a visual efffects magazine published by my friend Don Shay. It featured a creature – the face hugger – from Alien, directed by Oscar winner Ridley Scott. It was put on John Hurt’s face.”

Just for fun, Key tried to roughly imitate the creature. He remembers that it took him seven weeks to complete it. He was proud and felt that he could achieve more. Since the popular Halloween tradition of dressing up for one night as characters from famous movies was around the corner, Key convinced his friends to let him make their costumes. He needed a material made from latex. It was expensive at the time and only sold in bulk, but Key’s friends managed to chip-in just enough money to buy what he needed. Everyoone was very pleased with the results. That’s when it began to make sense – and maybe a new direction for him.

Besides the fact that he enjoyed the work, he figured that make-up artists probably made a better living than musicians. So he started showing pictures of his work in a one-man campaign to enter the proffession. Others were impressed, and he got hired. Key maintains that every make-up artist has a different style of working. “There is no magic formula for success,’ he says. “But at least you are solely responsible for your success or failure, unlike the music business, where you’re tied to four or five other people, and you succeed or fail as a group.” “The turning point for me,” says Key, “was when head of NBC Studios, Robert Scribner, asked me to come to their lab. He told me, ‘you show us how you work, and we’ll show you TV make up.’a huge advantage to work with actors. I learned from their experiences and tips, as well. I asked a lot of questions and, at times, I’d to stay up all night practicing.” Key recalls how few resources there were when he first started his career as a make-up artist. To stay ahead, he began networking with as many people as possible. He says he was hungry for information, so he approached some of the best in the field, such as Dick Smith, known for his work on The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Amadeus – for which he won the Academy Award for make-up.Determined to make networking work, Key found that a yearly meeting of his local make-up artiists union simply wasn’t enough. “It is, after all,” he told them, “a who-you-know business.” First, he worked to transform the modest annnual gathering to something much larger. Then he encouraged his collleagues to meet quarterly. Soon, even that wasn’t enough for Key. Out of his belief that the key to succcess is through the exchange of experriences, he started a small newsletter for fellow make-up artists. Now eleven years into the publication of his succcessful Make-Up Artist magazine, Keysees his publication as a “one-stop shop for every make-up artist, whether a student, amateur, or professional worldwide.” The magazine is full of tips, tricks, video tuttorials, how-to books, classes with professionals, schools, and even where to buy make-up supplies. In addition to the U.S. and England, Key is considering adding a third venue to the annual International Make-Up Artist Trade Show. Australia looks like a good conttender to Key, as they have an established film industry. “It is hard to venture into another country as a foreigner. It’s best to have friends and people on the ground.”